How I Take My Tea
by PurplePoctopus
Summary: High School AU: Bela is the popular cheerleader, Dean the burnout who hangs around the smoking wall most of the day. When Dean stops at the light around Bela's house, he gets a taste of what makes Bela Talbot tick.


It was a normal day in Edlund high school—as normal as it ever was. The students were passing through the hallways, chatting idly about their math classes and what was being served in the cafeteria for lunch. It was nothing exciting, nothing out of routine. In the A wing hall, a group of junior girls was leaning on their lockers, checking their nails, and giving flirty glances to guys. The leader of this group, the newest member of the Edlund high community (Which wasn't saying much, as she moved from England in the seventh grade), was snapping her bubble gum, and waiting for an unsuspecting victim.

Bela was granted her wish when Anna Milton walked by to use her locker. Her red hair was all piled on top of her head and she was wearing a cross necklace that dangled over the top of her turtleneck collar. "Oh, Anna!" Bela called, trying to get the girl to look at her. When she did, Bela smirked and said, "I just love that sweater you're wearing. I didn't know soccer mom was in." Anna rolled her eyes at Bela and slammed her locker door.

"And I just love that skirt you're wearing, Bells. I love that whole… Cheap prostitute look you're going for." The comment didn't even faze Bela. She just stepped back, and let the golden-haired Joanna Harvelle do the rest. Jo always had better comebacks, and Bela didn't feel like getting her hands dirty that day. Soon, Mr. Singer, the history teacher, leaned out of his room door and yelled,

"Get to class, ya idjits. Don't waste the taxpayers' money by standing around and twiddling your damn thumbs."

They all nodded and said, "Yes Mr. Singer." in unison, but as soon as the door shut, only Anna left for her next class.

"Free period for last. This will be a _great_ semester." Bela smiled. Jo nodded, and turned to head down the hallway.

"Catch you later, Bell. You want me to ca—"

"Text. I'll be studying most of the night, anyways."

"Okay. Talk to you then… then." Bela nodded slowly, then walked out to her car. The black Mercedes had been given to her by her parents on her sixteenth birthday, and even though it was a blatant, "look how much we love you" guilt trip gift, she loved it. It handled like a dream, and it solidified her status at the top of the social hierarchy pyramid. (As well as the cheerleading one.) She drove to her house, even though she considered taking a detour to the park to watch the ducks, because she figured no one would be home. It was one o'clock, after all.

To her surprise, her mother was sitting in the parlor, sipping tea and holding a piece of paper in her hand. Not knowing that her mother was in there before it was too late, the front door slammed behind Bela. All stealth was lost; there was no escaping it.

Dean Winchester also had a free last period, but instead of spending it out, getting a sandwich or something, he was stuck in detention for smoking on school property.

Again.

All the things the teachers said to him—he didn't care. So what if it was bad for him? His dad did it, and why the Hell not? He didn't think he was worth much anyways. After his detention he picked up his brother, Sam, and drove off in the direction of their house.

"Abigail." Mrs. Talbot said in her too-nice voice. "This is not acceptable."

"What's not acceptable? Mum?" Bela choked out with tears filling her eyes. The paper in her mother's hand was quickly shoved in front of her face. Bela was never quite sure how her mother could be so quick, but that was the way it always was. "Oh…" She sighed. There. That one little mark.

"Your name is _Abigail_, am I correct?" Mrs. Talbot asked, still not sounding angry. In fact, she almost sounded cheery. Bela knew what her mother wanted, so she nodded. "That begins with an A, yes?" her mother added. Again, Bela nodded, tears filling her eyes. "Not a B. This letter here… What is this? I seem to be having trouble reading it."

"It's… It's a…" Bela began to sniffle. "B. It's a B."

"This is unacceptable, young lady. With all the work your father and I put into raising you? The money that we're going to dish out for your college education?" What happened next was all too familiar. Her mother grabbed her by her hair, and pulled her kicking and screaming down the hallway.

"Somebody help me!" Bela screamed, even though she knew no one would. The neighbors never cared enough if they did hear, and most of the time, they didn't.

"Just wait until your father gets word of this." Miss Talbot said, before opening the closet door and shoving Bela inside. It had scratches in the paint on the outside, where Mrs. Talbot would shove a chair underneath, but it was never noticed by company. No one ever noticed anything.

"No! Please! Mother! No!" She screamed a few more times while pounding on the door. However, she could already hear her mother's heels click across the marble floors, walking back to the parlor so she could finish her tea as if nothing happened.

Dean stopped at a red light halfway through the Toy Box, full of plastic women and yachts, and rolled his windows down. The AC/DC tape he had been playing in the car ended a while ago, but he didn't notice—not until he hit that light, and he heard the pleas of a girl. "No! Please! Mother! No!" He heard, just barely, coming from the huge house near the light. The voice seemed familiar, and desperate, but he figured that it was just some rich bitch's mother trying to take away her cell phone, or her Porsche. Something stupid like that. When the light changed, he sped down the street. It didn't seem like Sam noticed the screaming at all. Sam always had his nose in a book, and never noticed what was going on around him.

Or, maybe Dean had imagined the whole thing.

Halfway down the block, he realized the voice was that of Bela Talbot. He sort of smirked as he rounded the corner. _Poor little Cinderella. Boo hoo for you._

It wasn't until after dinner that Bela's mother let her out of the closet. She groaned as she made her way to her room, as she realized that it would be another night where she'd have to sneak something from the kitchen. It was the third time that she had been shoved in the closet this week, the fourteenth time this month. The lack of dinners was beginning to show. Bela was starting to drop enough weight to get a call from the school counselor. She had yet to tell her parents about it, as they would accuse her of trying to tell.

When she got into her room, her dad was sitting there, waiting for her. Tears began to fill her eyes again, and she tried to run from the room. However, he was faster, and didn't care every time she screamed "No"

As Dean had a sickeningly large sized moral compass that made him drive back around Bela's house later that night. The air going through his open windows was chilly, but he didn't seem to notice. He knew he shouldn't be walking around with a bleeding heart—especially not for the bitch who tormented his best friend's sister since she got off the damn boat, but he couldn't help but wonder. He heard a few more cries coming from her house, but they were quieter. Almost as if she was watching a sad movie. It still didn't feel right to him, but there was nothing he could do. It wasn't like he was going to initiate a conversation with her, much less even look the bitch in the eye.

She didn't even seem to be too into guys anyways. Half the school thought she was sleeping with Ruby, the petite brunette in her little trio. Dean never doubted the rumor. The two were always seen sneaking off with each other. It seemed legit.

At least, that's what Dean hoped.

It was midnight when Ruby called Bela's phone. Bela was still sniffling when she answered, too tired and ashamed to put on a fake cheery tone. "Ruby?"

"Bells, you okay? You sound like death. Probably look it too. Were you watching the Notebook too?" Ruby asked her friend.

"Uh… Yeah. So sad… So sad…" Bela trailed off. She didn't say anything more, as she had never seen the movie. She figured that she could look it up online before class tomorrow, just in case Ruby wanted to talk about it tomorrow. At least she had an excuse. She wasn't sure how her friends—how anyone would handle the truth. She almost did, back in the seventh grade… but then her father upped and moved them out here, far away from anyone who could help.

"I know, right? Anyways. What do you think of that Sam Winchester kid? I mean, he's really smart… a brainiac nerd, really… but he's kind of cute. Jo said it would be social suicide, but I was thinking about taking him to that party this weekend."

"I don't know. People seem to think you and I are an item, so they might think that you're using him." Bela said while fixing her hair in the mirror. There were three new bruises in plain sight that she'd have to cover up… another two that could be passed off as a bump. Not a bad night. Her parents would be going to bed soon, so she'd be able to get food, but she had to get Ruby off the phone first.

"Well, maybe that's because last time you went to a party, you got smashed and played spin the bottle with me."

"Hence why I don't go to any parties anymore. I'm going to study, Ruby. Do what you want." Without even a goodbye, Bela hung up the phone, and tiptoed into the kitchen.

Dean parked his car, and left for the smoking wall behind the school. He fished a cigarette out of his pocket, and fumbled with his lighter. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bela breaking off from her little pack of hounds, and walking past the wall. Dean wondered why she was going to the bathroom alone, as he had learned in his studies that somehow it was a group thing with chicks. You never went alone. He shrugged it off, and finally lit his cigarette. It was pretty chilly outside, so the small amount of warmth helped, even if it was just a tiny bit.

The bell rang, and Dean dropped the butt on the ground, stomping it with his shoe for good measure. There was still no sign of Bela _leaving_ the bathroom, but it wasn't like he was going to burst in there and check. He turned to leave, when he smacked into someone, and heard them go down.

"Oi! Watch it!" Bela yelled at Dean. She kept her eyes on the ground as she scrambled to get her stuff. _Notebook, binder, purse, pen… pen… Where's the damn pen?_

"Looking for this, sweetheart?" Dean said, shaking her Montblanc like it was a cheap, fifty-cent stick pen from a gas station. Her face contorted into a snarl, and she lunged to grab the pen from his hands. She would not put up with his teasing, and she'd make him understand that _no one_ messes with Bela Talbot. When she grabbed the pen out of his hands, he saw a large bruise on her knee that was standing out, even under her pantyhose. "Woah, princess. You sure bruise easily. You fell… not even five minutes ago." Dean wondered if maybe his hunch was right. Maybe there was more to Bela Talbot than being a bitch and her damn Mercedes.

"I'm fine." Was all Bela said as she turned to leave. However, her stomach rumbled—she wasn't able to make it to the kitchen the night before, as her father was sitting in the living room watching some movie on HBO. Dean grabbed her arm before she could go, and she tried so hard to stop the tears that were a knee-jerk response whenever someone grabbed her like that, even if they didn't mean it.

"Wait." He stuck his hand into the pocket of his leather jacket, grazing over his pack of cigarettes, and pulled out a granola bar. He brushed off any lint from the pockets, and handed it to her. "You seem hungry. Here."

"I have money for food. I'm not hungry." _I'm starving. But I can't be._

"I figured, but…" _Just take it. I saw that look in your eyes._

"Look. I have to get to Health. I…" _I really don't want to go. I can't._

"Just… Keep it. Just in case you ever get stuck in a situation where you _would_." He said, placing it into her hand and closing her immaculately manicured fingers over it. "That's why I carry them. My dad was a marine. You always need to be prepared." Bela nodded, and put the bar in her pocket. This was what she was afraid of. She let her guard down for a second, and then the whole thing came crashing down. A tear rolled down her face, than another, and another.

"I'm sorry. I have to go." Without even looking back, she ran down the hall and slid into first period, ten minutes after the bell. She ate the whole granola bar in less than a minute, then slipped the wrapper back into her bag. _Dean Winchester_…

"And, she just started crying, man. Maybe she _does_ have a soul." Dean said as he lit up another cigarette by the wall. He was talking to Cas, his best friend and fellow wall smoker, about his encounter with Bela that morning. Cas dropped his butt on the ground, then looked back up at his friend.

"That," He laughed, "Would be im-fucking-possible. The girl's an ice queen. You see what she does to Anna. Her and those plastic bitches that follow her." Cas made a note to watch Jo and Ruby strut down the hall as he said this. "You better watch out. Apparently, Ruby has a _thing_ for your brother. I'm still convinced she's a lesbian, though."

"What if the whole ice queen thing is an act? I mean… You know what? I'm going to stop talking about this like a fucking girl. See you in Spanish." Dean said before walking away, cigarette still hanging from his lips, leaving a trail of smoke behind him.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Hey, Sam!" Ruby yelled as she ran down the hallway. "Sam!" Sam Winchester looked around, to make sure there weren't any other Sams around, then concluded that she was talking to him. Which was odd because… Ruby never talked to anyone of Sam's social standing.

"Hi…?" Sam said warily. Ruby Evans. _The_ Ruby Evans was talking to _him_. Sam Winchester, a nerd of the highest caliber, and Dean "Stoner" Winchester's brother. (Even though Dean rarely used drugs. That was more Cas' thing.) Ruby Evans.

"You want to go to Pam's party this weekend?" Ruby asked, avoiding chitchat. She hated bullshit, and avoided it like the plague if it was possible. She loved to be blunt, and always got straight to the point. There was no point in beating around the bush to get something you want. You either get it, or you don't, and there's no middle ground.

"I don't think so. I have to study, and it's just not really my thing." Sam said before turning to walk away.

"Come _on_, Sam. We've known each other since Pre-K."

"Yeah. When you… stole my crayons and shoved me face down in the sandbox? Good times. I got to get to Stat. See you later, Ruby." This time, he actually walked away, and didn't look back. Ruby was seething, and stamped down the hallway in the other direction. _Bela'd love to hear about this._

"And I was like, Hold on a sec." Jo put her phone to her chest as soon as she saw Bela coming down the hallway with mascara smudged around her eyes. Bela silently cursed the fact that her favorite mascara wasn't waterproof, and tried to avoid eye contact with Jo. "Bells, what the Hell is wrong with you? You look like someone killed your puppy. Are you okay?"

"Fine. Just… something. In my contact." Bela gave a weak smile to her friend, but backed away a step or two. Jo was one for hugs, and Bela was in no mood to receive one. "I'll be fine."

"It's that damn smoking wall. You walk by there, and whatever's coming out of their lungs is going into your eyes and it's terrible. The worst. Anyways, I was thinking about skipping gym and heading out with you for last." Jo was always trying to ban the smoking wall. She was anti-cigarette, anti-drugs, but was always the first person to reach for the booze at a gathering. Most people would think of it as hypocritical, but Bela never thought much of it. It was just… Jo.

"I was just going to go home. Maybe get a nap in before practice," Bela shrugged, "I can't fall asleep at the top of the pyramid."

"I guess you're right. Bye, Bela."

"Ruby?" Andy said, for what seemed like the billionth time. "Ruby _fucking_ Evans? Asked _you_ out?"

"I don't know if it was really asking. More like…. Demanding? I think that fits the situation better." Sam explained. Andy seemed to be mindblown, but that was nothing new. He usually got like that when a new flavor of skittles came out, or when they had the red, white, _and_ blue Mountain Dews available at the local convenience store. This, however, was truly mindblowing.

"I mean, it's not like she _shouldn't_ ask you out. I mean, you're attractive—no homo." Sam laughed at Andy's add-on, because he knew Andy didn't mean anything by it, but guys loved to flaunt their heterosexuality.

"It's really not as amazing as you think, Andy."

"And you turned her the fuck down?" Andy somehow seemed even more shocked, and stopped by his locker. "That takes balls, man. Or, the lack of them."

"I'm not gay, Andy. Calm down." Sam checked his watch, and sure enough, the bell was due to ring. "Catch you later." And he walked off, leaving Andy at his locker, reeking of weed.

Bela didn't go home. She was going to run off, had her bags packed and everything. Everything she needed was in her Mercedes, including the money she'd been saving up for months. No more credit card for Miss Bela—no. She'd be self-sufficient. At least, that's what she thought before she walked past Dean and Cas leaning against the smoking wall, passing a flask back and forth. Contrary to her image, she never really drank much, especially after that party with Ruby. Immediately she was curious, but was going to pass them by when Dean yelled,

"Talbot!" Bela turned around, and Cas seemed to have vanished, as he always seemed to do, leaving Dean at the wall alone. She didn't know what to do, so she tried to keep walking. Again, Dean yelled, "Bela!"

"What do you want?" She snapped back. He was delaying her escape, just to drive her crazy. _Dean bloody Winchester._ "I have a schedule to adhere to."

"Well, I'm fucking _sorry_, Princess." Dean rolled his eyes, and lit another cigarette. Bela stared at him for a few seconds, then blinked. She didn't know what to do or say. "God forbid someone that doesn't live in the Toy Box talks to you." Bela stared for a few more seconds, rage building, then pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and stomped it onto the pavement. "Hey!"

"Toy box?" She changed the subject, genuinely confused. Dean raised an eyebrow, and pulled another cigarette out of his pocket. There was a look of disbelief on his face, but Bela just gave him a "What?" face.

"Yeah. Toy box. Where all the plastic, shallow rich people live? You've never heard that name?" Dean chuckled to himself. She really _was_ that ignorant. It was almost adorable how clueless she was.

"Never." She looked down at his hand, where the flask was still hanging from his fingers. "What do you have in there? No doubt it's illegal."

"Well, when you put it that way." Dean rolled his eyes and went to put it away, but she stopped him. "Whiskey." He said. "I doubt that a stick like you would be able to handle it."

"Try me." Bela grabbed the flask out of Dean's hands and took a sip. The alcohol burned her throat, and was all around uncomfortable, but somehow it felt good. She shoved it back into his hands and watched as he took a sip.

"What else you hiding, Talbot?" Dean asked. "You're one of the _oddest_ people I've met, and that's including Cas and my brother."

"Well, I'm not a lesbian, if that's what you're wondering." Bela said with a smirk, after taking another sip from the flask. They continued to pass it back and forth, taking sips until it was all gone.

"That's _not_ what I meant. But, it's good to keep in mind. Bela Talbot. Not a lesbian. Well, I'm not with Cas, if you've heard _that_ gem." Dean laughed at his own absurd rumor, then caught Bela's eyes. They were so full of sadness, a lot like his father's.

A lot like his own.

"I've never heard that one, actually. That's pretty good." Without thinking, Bela rubbed at her eye, smudging some of the makeup around them. A large chunk of purple bruising showed through; it was a nasty black eye, just beginning to turn green at the edges. She couldn't see it, but Dean could.

"Bela, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why…" That was when she realized what was most likely going on. She muttered a curse under her breath, and went to go walk to the bathroom. Dean caught her arm to stop her from walking, but realized that probably wasn't a good idea. "_Don't_ touch me like that!" Bela yelled at Dean, and he dropped his grip.

"I'm sorry. Bela… You're _not_ okay." He followed her as she stomped to her car. "Bela, you can't drive like this." She opened her car door, revealing a large duffel bag sitting on the passenger's seat. Dean may have been flunking classes, but he wasn't stupid. He could put two and two together.

"I've only had a few sips. I _need_ to go." She rolled down the window and slammed the door shut. "Goodbye, Dean." Bela drove off, leaving Dean standing there. He realized that he could never see her again, and it bothered him more than it should have. She was just some girl—but she was just some girl that needed help. He could tell that no one was giving it to her, and no one was looking deep enough, but there was more to Bela Talbot than just a pretty face. Luckily, he had a bit of an advantage.

Bela made it three towns over by nightfall, and paid for a motel room. It smelled like mildew and there were mysterious stains everywhere, but it was better than home at the moment. Her parents noticed that she was gone by five, her friends by three. After many unanswered phone calls to the point where Bela took out the battery in her blackberry, there was a knock on the door.

Bela was careful to avoid the curtains before sneaking up and looking through the peephole. She rolled her eyes and unlocked the door. "What do you want? How did you find me?"

"Followed you in the car. Bela…" _Here I go again with my bleeding heart_. "You're _not_ all right. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to… but I'm here to help."

"You didn't… You didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"Just Jo. She probably told Ruby… I don't know how it works with you girls." He shrugged, thinking nothing of it. "Look…" He stepped closer, but she took two back.

"You did _not_. They'll… They'll say something. They don't know…. Dean… What did you…." She stopped, grabbing her hair and pacing. "Get the Hell away from me. You reek of cigarettes!" She began breathing heavily, and tears flooded her eyes. "They're going to find me."

"Bela. I can't help you if you don't tell me…"

"My name's Abby. Isabela's my middle name. Abby lets her parents shove her in closets and…" She won't say the rest. It was one thing to get hit, another to have a monster as a father.

"You were on crutches at the beginning of the year… Was that…?"

"Mum opened the wrong door. Shoved me down the basement stairs. I was lucky to get off with what I did." Bela paced over to the couch and plopped down on it. Dean could only think about how out of place she looked. A little rich princess on a throne made of trash. It was terrible, but almost poetic. Then Dean mumbled something about how he was thinking like a fucking girl again. "Oh how the mighty have fallen, right? Look at me… I'm no better than a _rat_."

"_Don't_," Dean said with a bit too much emotion before catching himself. "Don't say that." He stepped closer to her, and kneeled to eye level. "Bela, whatever goes on in your house, it's not your fault. It never has been."

"I know that. Don't talk to me like I'm a _child_. I didn't choose to be born into a house… Where you get more time with your father than your mother does." The last part was whispered and blurted, something that she didn't want to say out loud. Dean could tell, but just listening to what she was saying broke his heart. Who knew that Bela Talbot… Abby… had more of a tragic past than even he did.

"Bela…."

"You should go, Dean. Just leave!" She pointed towards the door, and buried her face into a pillow. Dean nodded and mumbled a quick goodbye, making sure to close the door quietly behind him. He made it halfway around the corner before running into Mr. and Mrs. Talbot, who were fuming. Ruby and Jo were trailing behind them, not knowing that they were leading their dear friend back to her captors. Dean felt sorry for Bela, and wanted to run back to warn her… But he knew it was too late.

"You! Young man!" Mr. Talbot yelled. "What the _Hell_ did you do with my daughter?"

Anthony Crowley was the son of a moderately successful businessman who was always out of town. Crowley was always in charge of his little sister, Lilith, even though there were times when he just couldn't stand her.

Lilith loved Dr. Seuss, and always asked Crowley to read _Green Eggs and Ham_. She'd ask over and over and over, to the point where Crowley went out and bought her the audiobook of it. She played it for three days straight, but somehow, the disk mysteriously broke, and Crowley had to resume storytime. Another one of her favorites was _Fox in Socks_, which was almost impossible to read without messing up. If Crowley so much as hesitated on "Knox on fox in socks on box" she'd wail and make him start all over.

Crowley's family moved to America five years ago. Lilith was born there, and had never been to England. She _had_ grown up with family nearby, but not the kind you embrace with open arms. The Crowleys were related to the Talbots through Bela's mum. Her sister was Crowley's long deceased mother, and they would gather on holidays and birthdays and spend the rest of the year pretending like the other didn't exist. They lived right in town, but you wouldn't know that they were related unless you knew either party involved.

And that's the way Crowley liked it.

"Woah. I didn't do anything. I just followed her to make sure she was all right!" Dean said to Bela's father. He had to use every ounce of strength in his body to keep himself from punching Mr. Talbot in the face. _"Grace under pressure,"_ his father would say, _"That's the Hemingway code of honor. Stick to it."_ Dean doubted that his father had ever read any Hemingway, but it was still something that stuck out in his mind. He hoped he could keep to it, when everything else in him told him to start swinging.

"And you didn't tell her _parents_ about this?" Mrs. Talbot added. Dean looked through the window created by the Brits to watch Jo and Ruby's worried faces. He knew their hearts were in the right place, but what they did could ruin Bela's life.

"I… I didn't know who to call. She ripped her phone apar—"

"You listen to me young man," Mr. Talbot grabbed Dean by the collar of his leather jacket, and pulled him close to his face. _Grace under pressure_ Dean reminded himself, "That is my daughter. You _find_ a way." Mr. Talbot then put Dean down and opened Bela's motel room door. There was a lot of screaming, and eventually, Bela's mother turned to Dean.

"Take the girls and go home." She said sternly. He didn't want to leave Bela, but there was no way he was going to get out of this. He didn't protest, and he took Ruby and Jo with him.

After Mrs. Talbot got Dean to leave, Bela's father came out of the hotel, dragging the crying Bela by the hair. "No!" She screamed. "No! Please! Let me go!" She flailed and thrashed and tried to get out, but it was no use. They slammed her into the backseat of the car and took off down the road. No one spoke a word, but you could cut the tension in the car with a knife. Bela could only imagine what they'd do to her when they got home. How many bruises she'd have to cover, and how many days of school should she have to miss, but wouldn't?

Even though it was nighttime, Bela grabbed a pair of her Chanel sunglasses from the seat of the car, and slipped them on. They would cover her tears for a bit, and would allow her to talk to her parents without making eye contact.

The car continued down the highway, then turned a corner quickly. Before they could react, a truck passed the intersection. Mr. Talbot slammed on the brakes, but they failed, and the car went hurdling at the truck doing seventy miles per hour. Bela let out a bloodcurdling scream as the car contorted and her head slammed forward, hitting the seat in front of her. A large gash appeared on her forehead, dripping hot blood down her face. The car started to catch fire, and Bela wrestled with the seat belt to get her Blackberry out of her pocket and click the battery back in. The door to the car looked too bent to allow her to get out, so her best option was to call the police.

"911, what's your emergency?" The operator said on the other line. Bela tried to stifle her cries, but it didn't work. She began sobbing hysterically into the phone, and banging on the window of the car.

"My parents… Car… crashed. We're just off of I-80… Near the… The sign for the exit. The car's on fire, God…. The car's on fire. Help me!" Bela screamed, still pounding on the cracked window. The last thump shattered it, and sent several shards of glass into her hand.

"Are your parents okay?" _Who cares?_

"I don't know. I don't think so." Bela figured if she got out now, she could wiggle through the broken window and get out of the car. She put the phone on speaker and held it in her hand as she climbed up onto one of the ridges on the door created by the accident, and climbed out. The broken glass sliced through her shirt and scraped her stomach, leaving a few gashes, but when she was properly outside of the car, she couldn't even hear the woman on the phone. Everything was going numb. Her parents' heads were smashed in the windshield, and she was just standing there… watching them burn.

And she didn't even care.

"Hello?" the operator repeated. "Are you okay? Help is on the way."

Bela didn't say anything for a bit, then muttered a "Bye" and hung up. There was someone more important to call. She dialed information and pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello? The name is Winchester… hurry."

"John Winchester?"

"Yeah. I guess. Just connect me. Please." She added with a sniffle. The phone started ringing, and she waited.

"Hello?" An older man picked up. The man had a voice that you get with years of smoking, and for a second, Bela wasn't sure she had the right number. "John Winchester speaking."

"Is Dean… Is Dean there?" Bela sobbed. "I…"

"He went out a little while ago. He should be back soon, if you want me to tell him you called."

"No…" Bela sighed. "It's not important. Thank you." She hung up the phone and sat down on the ground. She didn't take any substantial injuries from the accident, besides the gashes and the clonk to the head, but her parents were pretty much the creamy center of the wreck.

And she didn't care.

Dean hopped on I-80 after Jo and Ruby convinced him to drive them to pick up ice cream. He didn't really want to take them, but it got his mind off of what was happening to Bela. There wasn't much chatter, mostly because Jo and Ruby didn't know what to say. They weren't going to talk about their friend behind her back, especially after she attempted to run away from home. Something must have been up, and maybe, just maybe, they were starting to see what was in front of them.

Dean doubted it, though.

He went to turn the corner, but most of the lane was blocked off by bright orange cones. A police officer was directing traffic through the one lane that _was_ open, but Dean couldn't go through the lane. He saw Bela standing by the side of the road, fighting with the paramedics. They were grabbing her and trying to get her into the ambulance, but she was resisting. He couldn't see much, but there was one… no, two body bags.

_Oh my god._

Dean pulled over onto the grass, watching the cop chase after him, but he didn't care. He turned back around to Ruby and Jo, whose eyes were wide with shock. "Stay here." He said to them, but they wouldn't have it.

"Bela's _our_ friend, Dean." Jo said, getting out of the Impala. Ruby followed her, and Dean just shrugged. He wasn't going to argue with them, as they had a valid point. But, he wasn't going to wait for them. He ran under the police tape, and right to Bela.

"No! I'm fine…" Bela yelled at the paramedic that had her restrained. She was hysterical, and sobbing. "Don't touch me!" Dean made his way to the girl with Ruby and Jo trailing behind him.

"Bells?" Dean said, stepping closer to the paramedics and Bela. "Bela, you need to go with them. It'll be all right." Bela looked at him with sad eyes and stopped struggling. The paramedics let go of her, and she ran to Dean, wrapping him in a bloody hug. She began to cry into his shoulder while Ruby and Jo watched in shock.

Cas sat at home playing Xbox. He had a headset on, and was rapidly mashing one of the buttons. Anna was watching him, but she wasn't sure what game he was playing, or what was even going on. "Meg, what the Hell was that?" Cas yelled as the figure on the screen was blasted back. Anna looked up as a voice came from the TV.

"That was me beating your _ass_."

"Hey, Meg!" Anna yelled from the couch, hoping that it would be picked up by Cas' mike.

"Is that squirt? Is she watching this? Now you _can't_ accuse me of cheating when I do _this_!" Anna laughed at the two, especially Cas' little hissy fit because of Meg's victory, then got up to get something to eat.

"Cas, you want anything?"

"Nah. I'm good." He said before getting back to the game. Anna nodded, and went upstairs. Cas started a new game, but had to pause due to a phone call. He huffed in frustration and put the headset down around his neck. "Cas speaking."

"Cas? It's Sam. Is Dean over there?" Sam's voice was full of worry, and Cas could hear John Winchester yelling in the background.

"Nope. I'll keep you posted if I hear anything. Bye, Sam." Cas hung up the phone and put the headset back on. "Now _I'm_ going to kick _your_ ass!"

"It's not all right, Dean." She sobbed. "I killed my parents. Oh god, I killed my parents!" Dean pulled her away and looked her in the eye. She was frantic and unstable, and vulnerable, but…

"You didn't kill them." He scolded, then lightly kissed the top of her head. "It's over, Bela. They can't hurt you anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked as she pulled Bela off of Dean. "Come on, Bela. You need to go to a hospital." Dean watched as Ruby walked Bela to the paramedics, unable to move his own feet. His phone had been buzzing in his pocket for twenty minutes, but he hadn't had the time to answer it. When he did pull it out to check, there were three messages. One was from Cas, another from Sam, and the last from Dad. He clicked on Cas', and waited for it to play.

"What the _fuck_, man. At least tell me when you're going to be skipping town so that I could have a back stor—" Dean clicked 'erase' and went on to one of Sam's messages.

"Dean? Pick up the phone. There was an accident on 80, and dad's flipping out." Again, Dean hit erase. He went to listen to the message from his father, when Jo tapped him on the shoulder.

"You look terrible, Dean. Are you okay?" Jo and Dean had a past. At one time, she was like a sister to him. Then, there was some stuff with her family and his, and her dad's death, and they just sort of drifted apart.

"Yeah. Just… Nothing. It's not my place to say anything." He looked up from the ground to Jo and gave a weak smile. "You look good, Joey. How's your mom doing?" Jo shrugged off the nickname with a small smile. She wanted to get her mind off the body bags and the ambulance as it sped away.

"She's good. And your dad?"

"He's doing better, thanks." It was an awkward conversation between the two, who hadn't spoken in years. The Jo that he grew up with, the Jo that he played on the playground with, she left a long time ago and he wasn't sure he liked the one that took her place. Jo seemed to think the same thing too, as she was shifting from foot to foot and avoiding eye contact.

"What were you doing with Bela? When did you two start getting close? She never mentioned hanging with you."

"Yeah? Well, with some of the stuff I learned about her… Listen, Jo. Just… Promise me you'll take care of her, okay?" He started walking towards his car, but stopped and turned back around. "You need a lift?"

"No. I'm good." She replied. Dean nodded and got in to the car. The lights and music came on and soon, he was rolling down the road, on his way back home.

"Where's Dean?" Bela asked Ruby as they got into the hospital. Ruby was having trouble keeping up with the gurney, as she was running faster than the nurse, and constantly tripping over someone's feet. She was holding Bela's hand, even though she swore there was nothing wrong. However, Ruby wasn't stupid. The blood all over Bela was her own, and Ruby just couldn't figure out why Bela wasn't crying over her parents.

"Probably on his way home. Bela… You can't avoid it."

"Ruby, you don't _understand_." Bela snapped at her friend. A sick grin appeared on her face as she looked Ruby in the eye. "I'm _glad_ they're dead."

"What the _Hell_, Dean? I hear there's been an accident… you don't pick up your phone, and then you come home covered in blood?" John Winchester yelled at his son. Dean had just walked through the front door, into an ambush. Sam was sitting at the kitchen table, quietly working on his AP Statistics homework, oblivious to what was going on in the living room. It was unclear whether he was too absorbed in his work, or just didn't care.

"I was helping a friend. She got into some trouble and…"

"Trouble with _blood_? Dean, really!" John looked Dean in the eye, and wondered what this same situation would be like for Bela. Would she be getting hit? Thrown down stairs or shoved in a closet?

"Her parents were in the accident. She's fine, but her parents are... She tried to run away, and they brought her right back, and it's all my fault. Happy?" Dean said before stomping off to his room and slamming the door behind him.

Crowley didn't like to be dragged out of bed at midnight. Crowley especially didn't like to be dragged out of bed at midnight and have to drag Lilith out of bed at midnight. He received a call on his father's line saying that there was a problem with his cousin. It was an emergency, and she had no other family to go to. Crowley scoffed at the inconvenience, and hopped into his car to pick up the girl. He went to back out of the driveway, and saw that Lilth was already fast asleep in the backseat. Her stuffed green frog was stuffed under one of her arms, and her blanket wrapped around the other. If Crowley were one to really give a damn, he would have found the whole scene cute. Unfortunately, he _didn't_ give a damn, as it was midnight, and he had to pick up a bitchy girl to share his house with. That was _not_ his idea of fun.

He pulled up to the hospital, and dragged Lilith from her sleep. To Crowley's surprise, instead of looking classy and fierce like a jungle cat—like she normally did, she was bloodied and bruised and vulnerable looking. Crowley rolled his eyes at the girl, wondering how much of a nightmare it would be to live with her. Would he have to deal with her stupid airhead friends? "Well, well Miss Talbot." Crowley said, stepping out of the shadows. "You seem to have gotten yourself into quite the pickle. Just be glad I want to help."

Bela wanted desperately to be able to shout, "Go to Hell" at him, but she couldn't bring herself to. Her parents were monsters and deserved what they got. She had no sympathy for them and she didn't want people to pity her. Everyone would expect her to be sad, but she couldn't muster up more than "Well, there goes my college fund." She had to at least fake sadness, but it made her feel dirty. After what seemed like forever, Bela mumbled, "Let's just go."

She figured she would talk to Dean the next day—there was no way in Hell she was missing school. She'd go in and slave her ass off and silently cheer because her tormenters were gone. There would be no more afternoons trapped in closets or nights trapped under her father's weight. No more bruises to cover and no more crutches.

Maybe she'd even take her money and buy herself something nice to eat. She started to go off on a train of thought when Crowley parked the car. She hadn't even been aware that they walked out, nor did she know that they were at his house. "Come on!" Crowley yelled. "I haven't got all night. Your bags are in the back." Bela looked to the back seat and saw Lilith sleeping, with her duffel on the floor of the car. She didn't want to know how Crowley got it out of her Mercedes, but she assumed her car was all right.

She had only been to his house a handful of times, and she could tell that he wasn't too keen on her staying there. Crowley had carried Lilith out while she was sleeping, leaving Bela to handle her bag on her own. "Third door on your left." He had told her, explaining the position of her room. She mumbled a thank you and dragged the bag into the bedroom, not bothering to change out of her bloody clothes before falling asleep on top of the covers.

Dean couldn't sleep that night. He stayed up and bounced a rubber ball against the wall that was shared between his and Sam's room. Around two, Sam slammed back on the wall and yelled, "Dude, what the Hell?"

Dean chose to ignore him.

He couldn't help but think about what was going on with Bela. Her _parents_ just died, but they were terrible people who hurt her. Still, they were her parents. Dean didn't know how he should act around her the next day, or if she'd even want to be treated differently. At one point, he considered phoning Cas, but all he'd hear the next day was, "You fucking woke me up at two in the morning," and Dean didn't want to deal with that. When Cas was cranky, everyone had a bad day.

At five, Dean gave up on sleeping and decided to go into the kitchen. He made himself a large mug of black coffee and began cooking breakfast. He figured he could make eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes before everyone was up at six, and it would keep his mind off of everything. He'd stand there, crack an egg and slurp his coffee, bitter and dark like his father taught him to drink it. It was a rhythm, crack, slurp, stir. It continued until his mug was empty, and the carton of eggs cleaned out. He didn't even realize that he cracked ten eggs, and there weren't any left for pancakes.

At quarter to six, John Winchester walked in with sleep in his eyes, fumbling for the light switch. "Dean? What the Hell are you doing up so early? Are you making _breakfast_? Son, what has gotten into you?"

"I needed something to do. Scrambled eggs okay with you?" John grunted a yes and grabbed a mug of coffee. He too drank it black, but he'd sip while reading the newspaper. Dean always wondered if his father actually read it, or if he just did it to avoid looking his boys in the eye. John was never the same after Mary died, and his eyes were always full of sadness and hurt. Dean and Sam pretended not to notice, but they did. They did all the time.

Sam walked into the kitchen while trying to fix a cowlick that had appeared on his head. He had a book under one arm and a strange expression on his face. "Is Dean making breakfast?" he asked as he sat down at the table, across from his father.

"Yeah. You got a problem with it, Sammy?" Dean retorted while flipping the bacon in the pan to his left. "I try to do something nice, and I get looked at like I have three damn heads."

"No. No problems with it. You need help making toast?"

"No. Just sit down, shut up, and drink your pansy coffee." Dean said with a small smirk. He loved to make fun of Sam for drinking coffee with cream and sugar, and it distracted him even further. _Would she even be in school today?_ He wondered to himself.

"Fine. Pass the bacon."

"You bet, Sammy."

Crowley's house was much different than Bela remembered. They had a chef, for one thing, and breakfast was served hot and with tea. She was greeted to soft-boiled eggs and sourdough toast and fresh strawberry jam. It was a delightful feast, but Bela knew it wouldn't come without a price. Crowley glared at her throughout the entire meal and made passive aggressive comments about her hair, attire, and the way she took her tea.

"That's too much sugar." Crowley commented, sipping from his own cup. "You're spoiling the flavor."

"I like my tea to be sweet. You put too much milk in yours." Bela snapped back without so much as blinking.

"Fair enough." He said, getting up to get his things. "Don't talk to me in school. I don't want people to associate me with you, Princess."

"Likewise."

Bela arrived at school ten minutes before Crowley, and walked past the smoking wall. She didn't particularly want to see Dean, at least she didn't think, but when she found that he wasn't there she felt rather disappointed. Cas was leaning against the wall, chatting with a brunette in a leather jacket. _Meg Masters and Cas?_ She walked up to the wall, waiting to see if Cas would notice her standing there, and tapped her foot impatiently. "Cas?"

"I'm _trying_ to talk to him, Princess." Meg snapped at Bela, who just blinked in response. "Don't think that your intimidation crap is going to work with me, because it's not." Bela took a step back and bit her lip, for the first time in her life, unsure of what to say.

"I just need to ask a question. Do you know where…"

"Bela?" A male voice said, coming up behind her. "What are you doing here?" Bela turned around, trying to find the source of the voice. It sounded more tired than usual, as if it was used to shout repeatedly, but it was recognizable. _Dean._

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" Bela asked, as if she had no clue what he was talking about. She'd rather forget the events of the night before, even though the pain from the scrapes on her stomach was a clear reminder. "This is a _public_ wall, Dean. Everyone is allowed here."

_Does she really think that I don't care? Or does she not want anyone to know?_ "I guess you're right." Dean said. He shoved his hands back in his pockets and gave a small, sad smile. "Can I talk to you for a sec? Alone?" He looked up to catch her eyes, but she looked down before he could meet them.

"Bye, Dean." Cas said as he walked away from the wall. "Catch you later.

"Bye." Dean turned away from Cas and back to Bela, who seemed incredibly uncomfortable. "So, Bela…"

"Tell me again why we're meeting in a janitor's closet, Sam?" Ruby asked, impatiently tapping her fingers on a shelf. "Shouldn't you be in class or something?" She was growing annoyed with Sam, especially after he turned her down. _No one_ turned her down, especially not if she was after them. "And it's not like you to be hiding in closets."

"I didn't want people to see us together. They might think that we're _together._" Sam took a step backwards and crossed his arms, unsure how to act around her. "And not that that wouldn't be great and all, I just don't want people assume before I say anything."

"Sam, I think people would assume more if they see us coming out of a _closet_ together." Ruby spat. "Just saying." She was about to turn and leave, but Sam caught her arm and spun her around to face him. "Hey! Watch it, squatch!" Ruby opened her mouth to speak again, but Sam cut her off with a quick kiss.

"See you around, Ruby."

"So, Dean." Bela said back to the boy. "I don't want your pity, if that's what you're here to give me." She shifted uncomfortably and looked around for Ruby and Jo. Being alone with Dean always made her nervous, her heart would race and her palms would sweat. If she weren't so messed up, she'd call it a crush.

"I don't pity you." Dean said while lightly grabbing one of her hands. "Bela, I think that what happened to you was terrible. I also think that deep down, you feel guilty. It wasn't your fault. You're free now, Bela. In a sick, twisted turn of fate, you were freed." Bela let go of his hand and took a step backwards. The bell rang behind them, signaling that they were late for class, but she didn't care. She could just say she was grieving or something.

"That seems an awful lot like pity to me." Bela leaned against the wall and sighed. Her words echoed down the empty hallway, getting the attention of Mr. Singer. He was wandering the hallways as he usually did during his free period and peered over at the two teens loitering at the smoking wall.

"Now, I know you two idjits don't have a free period right now. Get to class."

"In a minute, Mr. Singer." Dean said, not even looking at the teacher. "Bela, listen to me. I care about you, and I don't want you to ruin everything now. You can be… So bearable when you want to be, you know that? Make something of yourself." Mr. Singer cleared his throat, trying to get the student's attention, but ended up giving up. He didn't know what they were talking about, wasn't sure if he wanted to know, and he didn't want to stay after school for the detention.

"You're making it sound like I'm some… low income drug addict who's running away to become a stripper." Bela took a deep breath and turned her head to watch Dean lean against the wall next to her. "But, you don't care. I know you."

"Really?"

Ruby left the closet first; making sure to fix her hair after Sam had inadvertently ran his fingers through it. She was breathless, as for a nerd; Sam Winchester was actually a good kisser. _Amazing, actually._ After reapplying her lipstick, she strutted down the hallway and slid into chemistry ten minutes late.

No fucks were given that day.

"You really think you know me, Bel?" He gave her a sad look and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "Think you know how I feel about you?" Bela pushed him away and mumbled.

"Yeah, I do." She then took off down the hallway, not looking back once.

Sam emerged from the closet ten minutes later, after making sure the coast was clear. Said closet happened to be near the smoking wall, so he passed by to see if Dean was still hanging around. Of course Dean was. He was leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette and cogitating about what just happened with Bela. "Hey, Dean!" Sam called, walking a bit faster to get there sooner. "You'll never believe what just happened."

"Yeah. I don't believe it. In what world is it okay for a girl to accuse you of not caring about her after you give her an inspirational speech?" Dean knew full well why, knew it was part of her façade, but still couldn't believe it.

"What?" Sam asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Nothing. What were you saying?"

"I kissed _Ruby_." Sam stated. "She is _not_ a lesbian." Dean just nodded at his brother, not really listening to him. "Wait until Andy hears about this. Bye!" and Sam sped off, and Dean put out his cigarette. He didn't look up until he heard an "Oof" and the screaming of a familiar voice.

"Oi! Watch it! I don't care how much Ruby fancies you; I will personally beat you senseless if you ever run into me like that again! I will sue you! You hear?" And Dean smiled to himself, because sometimes it was just comforting to know that things never changed. He heard Sam yelp and then the clicking of heels. They were coming towards him, at least that's what it sounded like, and his heart began to race.

"Dean."

"Bela."

"But, really. It's a work in progre—What are you two doing out of class?" Principal Shurley and Mr. Singer were walking down the hallway, drinking coffee and discussing Mr. Shurley's manuscript again. He talked it to death with anyone who would listen, but he went silent when he stumbled upon the pair still standing by the wall.

"Mr—Mr. Shurley… I, we… I… Er…" Bela bit her lip to keep from sputtering out more syllables and turned her head to Dean.

"Well, Mr. Shurley… Mr. Singer… We were just…" He gave a sideways glance to Bela, and then winked. The two took off down the hallway, laughing all the way. They knew they'd get in trouble, but it was fun for the moment. Who needed to think about consequences? They made it to Dean's car rather quickly, despite Bela still being rather sore from the accident. In a scene straight out of a romance novel, Bela kicked off her shoes and Dean carried her piggyback to the parking lot. It was sweet.

For once in her life, she trusted someone.  
>And it was a good feeling.<p>

"So where to, Bells?" Dean asked as he revved the Impala's engine.

"Nowhere in particular. Just drive."

The End


End file.
